Scarcity Worship is exaggerated attention and desire for something perceived to be scarce. Often the scarcity is created artificially for the purpose of worshiping it, or exercising preferences in how it is allocated, or hoarding it up for the purpose of feeling superior to those who do not have it, or profiting from an artificial scarcity. The object of the attention is often meaningless.

The liberal media exploit and encourage scarcity worship, focusing on artificial scarcity such as a man-made position, or an earthly death. Over time people who habitually watch or read the media tend to believe in scarcity worship as though it were somehow a basic or important part of life. Newspapers in particular depend almost entirely on scarcity worship to increase or sustain sales.

Sports fans exhibit a form of scarcity worship by placing significance in the sole winner of a contest, as though that artificial scarcity has any real meaning. Special sports prizes are created, such as the World Series or Super Bowl, to tap into scarcity worship and increase interest in the outcome.

For example, there may be plenty of oil in the ground, but politicians may seek advantage in declaring it to be scarce and then preventing full use of the resource. On a personal level, there is no shortage of food in the world yet often people will take delight in pretending there is a shortage, and in deciding who should receive what.

Marches to end hunger display a form of collective scarcity worship, as obesity is a bigger problem in the world today than starvation is.